Coffee Shop Competition Heats Up
Since our last round-up of excellent places to sip coffee and coast on free Wi-Fi, Irvine has welcomed some wonderful new additions to its superb coffee shop line-up. It is, of course, in keeping with Irvine tradition that both of these locations are hidden away in office parks. While these spots may not be as familiar as your nearest Starbucks, they’re both far more enjoyable destinations for caffeination.
Press and Moka
Press & Moka offers unique food and drinks inspired by Italian culinary and coffee culture. Photo credit The Vine
Press & Moka opened in 2022 facing a major hurdle: parking. The shop stands next to the Airport Tower building on Von Karman, where the hourly rate to park exceeds the price of a Press & Moka latte. Luckily the coffee shop offers parking validation, and even better, a unique menu.
Run by siblings Marc and Karyn Ghoukassian, Press & Moka offers coffee drinks beyond the usual coffee house fare. Sick of the standard cold brew and mocha? Try a Shakerato ($5) or Bicerin ($6.50) for a change of pace.
Other menu standouts include the paninis, which are absolutely delicious if a little too generously buttered. Ask for less butter on yours, or go for it but double up on the napkins as melted butter will drip down on you while you indulge.
The interior of the shop is tiny, but the patio is expansive. Bring your laptop to work, your friends for a catch up, or just yourself for a treat. But keep an eye on your watch because Press & Moka’s validation will only cover two hours of parking.
Press & Moka is open 7:30 am - 4 pm on Monday - Friday, 8 am - 3 pm on Saturday, and closed on Sunday.
Moon Goat
Moon Goat’s fourth location serves UCI Research Park employees but is open to all. Photo credit The Vine
Hipster paradise Moon Goat has opened its first Irvine location in UCI Research Park this month. With free parking, free Wi-Fi, and locally roasted beans (their Santa Ana roastery serves all four Moon Goat locations), there is a lot to enjoy at this new spot. A variety of seating will please those who want to lounge on a couch, those who want to eat at a table, and those who want to power through a problem set standing at a high top.
Customers can order ahead at uci.coffee to cut down on wait times. I ordered a Churro Latte (and customized it to be less sweet, having nearly fallen into a diabetic coma after my first time trying one), and it was ready before the estimated pick-up time. Ordering can also be done at the coffee bar, but don’t expect instant gratification. The warm and welcoming staff is still adjusting to the new location, so expect food items to take at least ten minutes.
The menu is fairly standard: the Avocado Toast ($11) comes with perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes that even this tomato-hater tolerated. Better yet, get the Bread and Spread for ($3.95) and add the Avocado and Lemon ($1.50) to enjoy a nearly identical Avocado Toast (sans tomatoes) for almost half the price.
Other food items that look enticing include focaccia sandwiches (Garden Goat $10.25 and Italian $11.50) and a Toasted Matcha ($6) with Hojicha tea and cascara syrup.
Irvine's coffee scene is brewing up some serious competition. Skip the big chain coffee shop on your next latte run to keep these newbies afloat.
Moon Goat is open 6 am - 6 pm Monday - Friday, and 7 am - 2 pm Saturday and Sunday.